Wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone moving south
Written by: Chris Vanderveen, 9NEWS Reporter
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK – Like them, or loathe them, wolves once
reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park are slowly making their way
south.
“The population is way ahead of where anyone expected it to be, so by all
accounts, we’re doing really well,” said Doug Smith, Wolf Project Leader
at Yellowstone National Park.
The goal of the reintroduction program was to bring a balance back to the
Yellowstone ecosystem. The last wolf was killed in the park in 1926. Then,
69 years later, the government brought them back.
The Robinettes are ranchers who live just to the southeast of the park.
They joke that 1995 was the last time they got a good night’s sleep. This
year, already they’ve lost at least eight calves to wolves and a half
dozen dogs, including a Great Pyranees. The breed can handle bears, but
proved not to be a match for a hungry wolf.
The Robinettes admit their case is extreme, likely the worst you’ll ever
hear. But the wolf reintroduction has clearly impacted their operation.
Now, some of Wyoming’s wolves are wandering farther and farther away from
Yellowstone. One was spotted near Lander, another near Rock Springs, and
another near Baggs, which is only 40 miles from Craig, Colorado.
“I think the state of Colorado should get ready, it’s going to be better
if they’re proactive, rather than reactive anyway,” said Smith.
Colorado does have a temporary set of guidelines if a wolf should make its
way here, but the state is working on a more long-term draft that should
be out by August of next year.